12 Large Indoor Plants for Your Home

A new purchase is always a big decision, especially if it’s on the more costly side. But for many gardeners, houseplants are crucial in a home. 

Most gardeners seek houseplants that accomplish the basics: they look good and do their job. The latter is evident, the former less so. While houseplants might not have the shiny luxe of a new car, they bring many benefits – they purify the air and boost oxygen levels. They’re also easier to care for than outdoor plants, which can burn a hole in your wallet if they die on you during the first season.

If you’re seeking something more novel than run-of-the-mill snake plants, this article explores a list of beautiful indoor plants for your home. 

 

1. Yucca Plant (Yucca elephantipes)

Oftentimes, when the foliage in your garden (or house) starts blending together, yucca is the one plant that stands out – cutting a striking impression in the rock-strewn haze of the American Southwest. ‘Banana Split’ (Y. recurvifolia) is a rosette-forming variety, variously striped with green, blue and yellow bands. Of the yuccas, Y. elephantipes is most suited to indoor conditions. 

2. Improved Meyer Lemon Tree 

Lemon trees, fattened on a diet of sunshine, are a wonderful tonic to the grey skies of winter. Getting a lemon tree to bear fruit isn’t always easy, but it can be made more manageable with citrus rolling planters. Citrus love high intensity sunlight, so it is recommended you use grow lights. Look for improved varieties, such as the improved Meyer lemon tree, which boasts a more disease-resistant nature than its predecessors.

3. Elephant Ears 

Taro, otherwise known as elephant ears, is usually grown as an outdoor landscaping plant, but has been able to migrate indoors with little fuss. Part of its appeal is the lush leaves it produces, harkening back to the large-leaf plants at the time of the dinosaurs. It is drawn to rich, moist soil and will thrive near water features or a low-lying corner.

4. Dumb Cane  

Beautifully patterned, dumb canes are the perfect candidate for those that are divinely picky – it stands out among the sea of lesser houseplants, with its palm-like growth habit and mottled foliage. The dumb cane is not inherently “dumb,” but the unsuspecting dog that ingests it is, as its leaves contain toxins that render the mouth numb. 

5.  Norfolk Island Pine

Many people underestimate the pleasing qualities of the Norfolk Island pine, whose branches stay immaculate year-round. It maintains a classic “pine” look, but also borrows a tropical, airy vibe. Water it roughly once every few weeks, then let it dry out.

6. Monstera 

Plants from the philodendron, monstera, and epipremnum genus may be simple, but can grow to sprawling lengths, with leaves the size of your torso if you train them to climb properly. A moss pole (sphagnum moss, coco coir) is ideal for encouraging large leaves and aerial root attachment, but monsteras will climb trellises as well. 

7. Polka Dot Begonia Flushed with vibrant color, begonias are more exciting than their common name gives them credit for. The polka dot begonia, a popular variety, harbors a secret – it can be trained to grow vertically. Ideally, if you want it to grow upward instead of an arched form, staking is recommended; use thin bamboo stakes, or a similar support.

8. Mayan Mask Alocasia

You don’t have to be a diabolist to own the Mayan Mask alocasia, featuring thickly veined leaves with the trappings of antiquity. While African mask plants are not the easiest to cultivate indoors, many gardeners agree that they rank among the best plants in their collection. Make sure to place in a sunny spot – without adequate light, the leaves can droop. This plant thrives in bright, indirect light and benefits from misting. 

9. Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata)

In its native habitat in far-flung subtropical localities, dragon trees grow in gnarled, otherworldly formations, featuring twining trunks that twist skywards. Even as a houseplant, it retains its sculptural appearance, albeit on a lesser scale. This large tree prefers bright light and for the soil to dry out between waterings. 

10. Bird of Paradise

If you’ve seen one snake plant, you’ve seen them all. However, just because houseplants are designed to be home-dwelling does not mean that they have to look “middle-aged” and staid. Bird of Paradise is a beautiful plant that occasionally upgrades itself from merely lush to striking when it blooms. Under ideal conditions, the striking flowers of its namesake unfurl, seemingly more alien than terrestrial. Place it in a tight pot, as it prefers being root-bound, which encourages blooms.

11. Money Tree

Money trees are like people – some are short and squat, while others grow to extraordinary heights – in the case of the money tree, over 8 ft tall. Traditionally considered a symbol of prosperity, they grow well in bright, indirect light and occasional watering. Indoors, you can treat a money tree as a bonsai plant and prune it regularly, or let it grow to unfettered lengths. 

12. Peace Lily 

Olive branches were often seen as peace offerings in antiquity, but if the bearer was of ill will, they would have sent the poisonous oleander. Neither option appeals to modern sensibilities, but a peace lily will. Often given as a gift, it’s a step up from the usual undesirable plain socks and, with the right care, will reward you with years of growth. It’s also lauded the best for purifying the air, so its name is more than just bluster.